The convenience store at the Aldersyde Petro Canada sustained significant damage during a June 19 crime spree that involved two car jackings and eight vehicles damaged in collisions.

Jordan Verlage/OWW

A Calgary man left a trail of destruction in Okotoks area on June 19 after a crime spree resulted in numerous collisions, two carjackings and significant damage at a foothills gas station.

It all started on the morning June 19 when a man crashed his car on Deerfoot Trail in Calgary and he then pulled out a knife and stole the car of a Good Samaritan who stopped to help.

By the time RCMP arrested a suspect in the case, the Aldersyde Petro Canada convenience store sustained serious damage after someone drove into the building, two people, including one RCMP officer, were injured and at least eight vehicles were damaged.

Okotoks RCMP Donna Rorison said the whole situation left behind a “big mess” that was a shock to those who witnessed it.

“There’s a lot of detachments involved, a lot of police involved, a lot of craziness, a tremendous amount of witnesses, so there’s a lot of people who were pretty stunned by how quickly things got bad,” she said.

By 11:45 a.m. that morning Okotoks RCMP began receiving complaints of a vehicle driving erratically and soon after police received a report the car had driven into the Aldersyde Petro Canada.

Police tracked the suspect vehicle to the intersection of Highway 7 and Southridge Drive where several other vehicles had been damaged after colliding with the suspect.

The suspect driver then exited his vehicle and pulled out the knife and stole another vehicle from a woman who had stopped at the scene. At this point the woman and an RCMP member received minor injuries.

The suspect then sped away in the woman’s car before eventually crashing into a ditch where police were able to arrest him.

“He crashed into several vehicles and then took a lady’s vehicle from her forcefully and then, heading west more impacts ensued and eventually he doubled back this way and eventually drove off the road,” said Rorison.

The suspect was taken to hospital in Calgary with injuries sustained in the various collisions. Okotoks RCMP believe the suspect may have been impaired from drugs at the time and they expect to lay numerous charges in this case.

Police are now investigating the incident and the clean up begins.

Suncor spokesperson Nicole Fisher said no one at the site was injured when the vehicle plowed into the convenience store and they are still determining the extent of the damage.

She declined to comment further as the incident is now under investigation.

“We can’t provide a lot of details because it’s a police investigation… we can confirm there were no injuries,” said Fisher.

The gas station was closed after the incident. She isn’t sure how long the site will be closed and it will depend on the level of damage and the police investigation.

RCMP are asking anyone who may have witnessed any of the incidents involved in this case to call the Okotoks detachment at 403-938-4202.

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